Cleaning mechanism for tanks.



No. 728.714. PATNNTED M,AY1 91903..

W. B. NOGG. CLEANING MBGHANISM PoR TANKS.

APPLIOATION FILED NV. 21. 1902.A

Patented May-19, 1903.

WILLIAM B. HOGG, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

CLEANING MECHANISNI FOR TANKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,714, dated'May 19, 1903.

Application. filed November 21, 1902. Serial No. 132,290. (No model.)

To all 1071.077@ it muy concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. Heee, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas,- have invented new and useful Improvements applicable to av tank without materially af fecting the capacity of the same.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of a tank, showing the im' proved cleaning mechanism applied thereto and a valve comprised in said mechanism as closed. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the valve open.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the views.

The numeral 1 designates a tank of any preferred form of construction and adapted for use in containing oil or water for various purposes. This tank has a lower bottom 2, with a central drain depression 3, from which a collara depends and is interiorly screw-threaded for the application of the collar 5 at the upper end of an outflow-pipe 6, having a valveseat 7. Within the tank, close to the bottom 2, is an inclined false bottom 8, having its lower edge terminating coincidently with the periphery of the drain depression 3, and on the said false bottom is a trough 9, which extends completely from the upper to the lower edge thereof. The depression 3 has an enlarged opening 10 through the center thereof, and rising above said y opening is a yoke 1l, ou which is rotatably mounted the lower arcuate member 12, terminally connected to the lower ends of scraping blades 13, which are disposed close to the upper surface of the false bottom 8 and have operating-rods 14 extending vertically from their upper ends to the top of the tank, Where they are provided with hooks 15, movably resting on the upper edge of the tank. The center of the arcuate member has an upstandiug vertically-apertured bearing 16, and therein and in the upper centralportion of the-yoke 11 is a valve-rod 17, having a lioat 18 on its upper end and a valve 19 secured to the lower terminal thereof to coperate with the valve-seat 7. Between the valve 19 and the upper portion of the yoke 11 a spring 20 surrounds the rod 17 and has such tension as to hold the valve in normal closed position.

In the operation of the improved device the scraper-blades 13 are rotated through the medium of the rods 14.- after the contents of the tank have been removed or drawn off, and during such operation the valve 19 is held closely down to its seat 7. As the scraperblades move over the trough 9 the sediment collected thereby is deposited in the said trough, the parts being so arranged that the opposite edges of the trough will be engaged by the lower edges of the scraper-blades, and by this means the sediment that may collect on the false bottom can be drawn to one point, and after this has ensued the tank is then flushed or lled with water to a level suflicient to affect the float and elevate the valve 19 from its seat and permit the sediment close to the trough to he washed out, and after the water falls to a certain level the valve 19 will be again closed, and the water that may be thereafter allowed to flow from the tank through other connections (not shown) or through the outflow-pipe 6 will be in a clean condit-ion. The same is equally true of oil, and .the first quantity of oil that may iiow out th rough the pipe 6 after the bottom 8 of the tank has been scraped will be unfit for use before purification by any suitable means. v

Theimproved cleaning attachmentormechanism can be readily operated and will be found materially advantageous. Instead of the application-to an oil or water tank the i-mproved mechanism may be disclosed in connection with other analogous devices. To accommodate different applications, changes'n the proportions, dimensions, and minor details may be` resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

loo

in close relation to the said false bottom and l Having thus fullydescribed the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a device of the class setforth, the combination With a tank having a bottom with a central drain depression, of an outlet-pipe connected to the depression and provided with a valve-seat, au inclined false bottom, scraper-blades rotatable in close relation and said false bottom having operating means accessible from the top of the tank, and avalve with a float to'control the outlet of the contents of the tank.

2. In adevice of the class set forth, the combination of a tank having a bottom with a depression and an upper inclined false bottom having its lower extremity coinciding With the depression, scraper-blades rotatably held provided with means accessible from the top of the tank for operating the same, an outletpipe secured to said depression, and means for controlling the open and closed condition of said outlet-pipe.

3. In a device of the class set forth, the cornbination of a tank having the usual bottoln provided With a central depression, the latter having an opening therethrough, an outletpipe connected to said depression, a downwardly-inclined false bottom above the usual bottom having a trough thereon, scraperblades held in rotatable relation close to the said false bottom, and means for controlling the outoW of the contents of the tank.

4. A tank having an outflow connection at the bottom thereof, an inclined false bottom disposed above the regular bottom, and rotatable scrapers held in close relation to the upper surface of said inclined false bottom and provided with operating-rods projecting upwardly to and having terminals extending over the upper edge of the tank.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

, WILLAM B. HOGG.

Vitnesses:

E. L. GUY, J. S. CARTER. 

